The route from capture to repatriation

[TARA]

2868 Cpl CE Fuller, 7 Buffs, was wounded and captured near St Quentin, 22/23 March 1918. He kept a diary for much of his time as a POW, but many place names were misspelt, thus making it difficult to follow his journey from capture to repatriation.

Three ICRC Records have now confirmed the date and place of his capture and given Darmstadt, Gustrow and Altamn as his lagers or POW camps. However there is no mention of the hospitals where he received treatment or the nature of his wounds.

From the ICRC Records, dates and places in his diary and information gathered from this Forum, I have managed to plot more of Cpl Fuller's journey from France to Denmark and then home.

22/23 Mar 18 Wounded and captured near Tergnier (St Quentin).

24 Mar 18 Sent on a working party, then to Dressing Station at front.

25 Mar 18 15 kilometres by light railway from front to German Hospital.

28 Mar 18 by train to Stenay, France, German hospital.

31 Mar 18 by Red Cross train to Wiesbaden then on to POW lazarett at Darmstadt.

3 Jun 18 discharged from lazarett to Darmstadt lager.

26 Jun 18 admitted to Darmstadt llazarett (probably 'Spanish Flu').

31 Jul 18 discharged from lazarett to Darmstadt lager.

26/28 Aug 18 by train from Darmstadt to Berlin. Camp not known.

3/4 Sep 18 by train from Berlin to Gustrow POW camp.

7 Sep 18 by train (all day) from Gustrow to Springhirsch POW camp, near Lentfohrden.

Sept/Oct Springhirsch - very bad camp, poor food and cooking, boredom, few parcels of mail.

Diary stops 9 Oct and resumes 15 Dec.

15 Dec 18 Left Linforden (sic), Lentfohrden, loaded into trucks.

16 Dec 18 Arrived at Warnemunde and straight onto boat. Sailed on the C.P.

17 Dec 18 Landed at Aarhus, then entrained to Viberg, Hald camp.

23 Dec 18 Left Viberg for Aarhus, sailed on Ficaria for Leith, Firth of Forth.

26 Dec 18 Leith, then entrained for Ripon.

27 Dec 18 Ripon, clothed, paid out and home tomorrow.

NB

One ICRC Record shows during October/November 1918, Cpl Fuller's lager as Altdamn, while he was actually at Springhirsch which is a considerable distance from Aldamn (Szczecin). Why was this?

Was Springhirsch a punishment camp?

Cpl Fuller went to Denmark from Springhirsch via Warneunde, which seems a long way round because Springhirsch is in Schleswig Holstein and just south of Denmark!

Although his journey across Germany was mainly by train, Cpl Fuller's diary tells of long marches from railway stations to POW camps!

TARA

[LarsA]

Try searching for the "danish scheme" and you will get some interesting results. Perhaps a PM to member "thedanishscheme"?

ATB,

Lars